When comparing ZOTAC Mobile VR vs MSI Backpack PC, the Slant community recommends MSI Backpack PC for most people. In the question“What is the best backpack PC for VR?” MSI Backpack PC is ranked 1st while ZOTAC Mobile VR is ranked 3rd. The most important reason people chose MSI Backpack PC is:
While an hour and a half is not great, out of the three different manufactures who have announced a backpack PC, MSI currently has the best battery life at an hour and a half.
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Pros
Pro Not limited by laptop components
The PC that will be used will have desktop components meaning that the unit will be able to power games better than something using laptop components such as laptop grade CPUs and GPUs. This will of course use more power, but will offer better performance.
Pro Easier to upgrade separate components
This is basically a backpack with a PC and a battery power supply, all inside. What this means though is since this solution uses separate components, they will be easier to upgrade. First the PC will just be one of Zotac's mini PC that is powerful enough to power a ZVR unit. THis in and of itself should mean there are components in that mini PC that can be upgraded or changed. On top of that, the batteries will be a separate part in the backpack, which could also be replaced or changed to an even more powerful pack. Overall, this makes for a more versatile solution due to everything not being all in-one.
Pro Currently the best battery life announced out of the available backpack PCs
While an hour and a half is not great, out of the three different manufactures who have announced a backpack PC, MSI currently has the best battery life at an hour and a half.
Pro Powerful desktop components which allow for upgradeability
MSI has stated the unit will use a GTX980 graphics card, meaning this backpack will fit desktop components, which offer better performance over laptop CPU and GPUs. This also means that some components will be able to be swapped out and upgraded, making for a more future proof item.
Cons
Con Battery life isn't the greatest
Sometimes with both batteries you can only get just over an hour of play.
Con Potential to be bulky and heavy
Due to the nature of the design, using a backpack and filling it with a mini PC and battery pack, there is potential for this to be a lot bulkier and heavier than the units from HP or MSI, as theirs are more all-in-one, allowing for a more slim device.
Con Battery lasts just an hour and a half
This is a pretty short battery life, which means very little in a game will be able to be played through completely untethered. Even though this is the highest battery life announced out of similar backpack PCs, it is still quite short.
Con Not yet available
There are not details of price or models that will be available. No release dates have been given either.